Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf announced that only around 25,698 people will be able to perform Hajj under the private scheme this year, a significant drop due to many private operators failing to meet Saudi Arabia’s booking rules and deadlines.
Out of Pakistan’s total Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims for 2025, the private sector originally had nearly half, but their share was slashed from 89,801 to just over 25,000, affecting more than 67,000 hopeful pilgrims.
Yousaf shared during a press conference that as of February 14, only 3,600 private pilgrims had made payments, though this number rose to 13,000 after a one-week extension.
He also pointed out that although 904 private Hajj operators were registered with Saudi authorities, many people submitted payments to unverified agents, ignoring ministry guidelines.
“A committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will investigate the issue,” Yousaf said.
He confirmed that airlines, including Pakistan International Airlines, Saudi Airlines, Air Sial, Airblue, and Serene Air, will handle the transportation of pilgrims.
The ministry had earlier warned pilgrims to only use verified tour operators to avoid scams. Some approved operators also missed Saudi payment deadlines, leading Prime Minister Sharif to request and obtain an extension.
This year’s Hajj will take place from June 4 to June 9. Nearly 89,000 Pakistanis will go through the government scheme, with the Hajj flight operation having started on April 29. As of now, 55,642 pilgrims have already reached Saudi Arabia on 244 flights.